What the Job Involved
- Problem:
- Leaking every rain for several years, plus ice dam leaks every winter. Three causes: no valley kick-out, not enough ice and water shield, reused step flashing at the sidewall and fascia
- Work performed:
- Both valley bottoms fully dismantled, rotted wood replaced, new ice and water shield, new shingles, new step flashing at sidewall and fascia, proper valley extension at the bottom of each valley
- Time on the roof:
- About six hours for both sides
- Cost:
- Around $3,000
- Warranty:
- 15 years
- Result:
- All leaks stopped
How It Went
This roof had been leaking below the valley for several years, every time it rained. We were the second roofing company the homeowner called. We were the only one able to do the repair, and the only one willing to put a fifteen-year warranty behind it.
There were three things wrong, and they were all doing damage at the same time.
First, no valley kick-out. At the bottom of a valley there should be a piece of metal that throws the water out onto the shingles below. Without it, the water rounds the corner, works its way back under the shingles, and goes straight into the house. That was the main leak.
Second, not enough ice and water shield for the conditions. This section of roof had no air intake, almost no insulation, and poor attic ventilation, which means heavy ice damming every winter. Ice and water shield is what protects the deck when ice backs water up under the shingles. There wasn't enough of it here, so the ice dams leaked too.
Third, the step flashing along the sidewall and fascia had been reused from a previous roof. That is a giant red flag. Reused step flashing almost always leaks, and this one did.
We dismantled the whole area, replaced every piece of damaged and rotted wood, and rebuilt it correctly. New ice and water shield. New shingles, step-flashed properly into the sidewall and the fascia board. And a proper valley extension tied into the bottom of the valley so the water goes where it's supposed to.
The other side of the roof had the same setup and the same leak, so we did the same repair there. Both sides, about six hours, around $3,000, fifteen-year warranty.
How This Leak Repair Below Valley Job Was Done
- 1The valley as we found it. The leak was showing up well below this point.
- 2Courses come up at the eave so the deck below the valley can be seen properly.
- 3There it is. The decking where the valley discharges has rotted through — nothing visible from the ground.
- 4The failed material is cut right back until only sound timber is left around it.
- 5New sheathing is fitted into the opening, flush with the deck around it.
- 6Closed back up. The valley now carries water down and off the roof, the way it was meant to.
